Gregory Ray

I am an entrepreneurship program leader, teacher, and mentor at Cornell University, leveraging my MBA and PhD credentials to nurture the next generation of deep-technology startup leaders. With nearly a decade of experience in leading and supporting various business school innovation programs at Cornell, University of Toronto, Georgia Tech, and New York University. I have spearheaded initiatives such as the Life Science Innovation Fellowship (initially established as the BioEntrepreneurship Initiative), the Green Technology Innovation Fellowship, and the Center for Regional Economic Advancement’s Sprint program.

At Cornell, I also serve as the co-program director of the Johnson Summer Startup Accelerator (JSSA) and as program instructor for the Women Entrepreneurs in STEM at Cornell (WE Cornell) program.

My mission is to cultivate a culture of entrepreneurship and creativity among scientists, engineers, alumni, and students, empowering them to translate their ideas into viable ventures. I am particularly dedicated to developing the human capital that will drive the next generation of science-based companies. I accomplish this by offering mentorship, guidance, and resources to aspiring and established entrepreneurs, both within and beyond Cornell.

In addition to leading programs, I design and teach courses on entrepreneurship, strategy, and innovation at the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business. Outside of Cornell, I am an instructor in the National Science Foundation I-Corps program and an angel investor.

Before assuming my current role, I gained extensive expertise in molecular biology, biochemistry, infectious disease, and virology during my PhD studies. I began exploring the startup world during my MBA while working with a Dubai-based agriculture supply chain startup. Post-business school, I managed the launch of an American-style hospital in the Middle East, providing me invaluable insights into healthcare delivery complexities and initiating a new business within an existing company. After that project, I returned to Toronto to play a pivotal role in the growth of Creative Destruction Lab (CDL), a program dedicated to seed and series A stage technology-based startups. During my tenure at CDL, the equity value of our alumni companies surged from approximately 500M CAD to just over 7B CAD.

If you are interested in lecturing, mentoring, coaching, or consulting services, please use the contact information at the bottom of this page. I only consider investments in founders who receive a warm introduction to me from a trusted contact of mine.